Green cabbage soup with spinach and sorrel
4 servings
70 minutes
Green soup made from spinach and sorrel is a traditional Russian spring dish filled with the freshness of greens and deep aromas of hearty beef broth. Shchi has a long history and has been prepared in Russia since ancient times, symbolizing satiety and homely comfort. The soup's taste is bright and rich: the light sourness of sorrel is complemented by the tenderness of spinach, while the creamy dressing gives the dish a velvety texture. Roots and carrots add sweet notes balanced by the spicy aroma of bay leaves and pepper. Serving with boiled meat, eggs, and fresh herbs makes shchi nutritious and rich in flavors. This soup is especially good in spring and summer when one craves something light yet filling. It pairs perfectly with sour cream that highlights its tenderness.
1
Wash the beef, place it in a pot, cover with water, and boil until cooked. 5-10 minutes before it's done, salt the broth and season with pepper and bay leaves. Remove the meat from the broth and set aside. Strain the broth, remove the bay leaves and peppercorns, and pour it back into the pot.
- Beef: 1.2 kg
- Salt: to taste
- Black peppercorns: 5 piece
- Bay leaf: 4 pieces
2
Wash the spinach and sorrel in salted water, place them in a small pot, pour boiling water over them, and let sit for half an hour. Then drain the water and add a small amount of beef broth to the spinach and sorrel. Bring to a boil and cook the sorrel and spinach for 5 minutes. Strain the broth and pour it back into the pot with the soup, and puree the sorrel and spinach, adding them back in.
- Spinach: 20 g
- Sorrel: 20 g
3
Wash, peel, and slice the carrots and roots into thin rounds. Peel and finely chop the onion. Place the pot with broth and sorrel over medium heat, add the chopped vegetables, and cook until the roots are tender.
- Carrot: 0.5 piece
- Parsley root: 0.5 piece
- Onion: 1 head
4
While the vegetables are boiling, mix the butter with the flour and rub until a homogeneous mass forms. Then dilute this mixture with hot broth from the soup pot, mix well, and pour it into the pot a couple of minutes before the shchi is ready.
- Wheat flour: 1 tablespoon
- Butter: 1 tablespoon
5
Boil the eggs hard, cool them, peel, and cut in half lengthwise. Cut the boiled beef into small pieces. Wash the greens, dry them with a paper towel, and chop finely.
- Chicken egg: 6 pieces
- Beef: 1.2 kg
- Dill: 20 g
6
Before serving, pour the soup into bowls, add sour cream, and place some boiled meat, two halves of an egg, and herbs in each bowl.
- Sour cream: 200 g
- Beef: 1.2 kg
- Chicken egg: 6 pieces
- Dill: 20 g
